Flatulence is a common enough problem, and is usually a mild, if somewhat embarrassing and unpleasant one. In the case of you and your wife, there seem to be no other symptoms such as discomfort or pain. It therefore seems that there is no indigestion or any other bowel dysfunction or condition, so the issue is a minor one. The main problem seems to be with garlic, and the best thing therefore is to avoid using it, as you have done. However, as you have said, Asian and Italian food is likely to be problematic, as garlic is an important ingredient of most of these dishes.
Since it is not possible to keep cutting out foot from your diet, you could instead add items that will help counteract the effects of garlic. Asafetida is one spice that is reputed to prevent flatulence very effectively. In addition, turmeric, cumin, and coriander, are also supposed to help. All these items are normally used in Indian cooking, and some in Italian cooking as well, so adding them to your food should not be a problem. Of course, if you're eating out, it may be more difficult to have them added, or even to find out which dishes contain them. In this case, you can try eating some probiotic foods at the end of your meal — foods such as yogurt contain certain bacteria that help digestion and limit flatulence.
answered by M W